Tag: injustice

The Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42:5-9)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
    who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
    who gives breath to its people,
    and life to those who walk on it:
“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
    I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
    to free captives from prison
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

“I am the Lord; that is my name!
    I will not yield my glory to another
    or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce them to you.” (New International Version)

For those who serve the God of Scripture, there is work to be done.

According to Scripture, people are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). As the only creatures on earth with the divine stamp of God’s image, humanity’s purpose is to reflect and work toward that which characterizes God:

  • Be holy because God is holy. That is, set apart your life for good and right purposes, and not for ill. Devote yourself to being above board in everything, and work for the common good of all persons.
  • Love one another as God has loved you. Since the Lord demonstrated a sacrificial and unconditional love toward you, so do the same for others. Love God. Love your neighbor.
  • Do justice because God is just. God is concerned that everyone on planet earth has what they need – both physically and spiritually – to live and thrive in this world. Ensure that people’s needs are met, without any prejudice or favoritism.

The servant of God has a mandate to be a covenant and light for people. Since God makes and keeps promises to people; and since the Lord is light without any darkness, so God’s servant is to embrace and embody a steadfast commitment to continually doing good.

We are meant to be a blessing to people on this earth – and not a curse. (Galatians 3:8)

I don’t have much stomach for fellow believers who think they are responsible to let people know how sinful they really are. Such supposed messengers end up puking the “good news” on others, often leaving people in such a bad state that they want nothing to do with religion.

Any sort of forceful verbiage, or manipulative gaslighting of others, does not in any way reflect the God whom I serve; I view such underhanded methods as inconsistent with Scripture. Besides, the Lord certainly doesn’t need any of us, as if God is dependent on people’s gospel witness.

Instead, the Lord graciously cuts us in on the benevolent and gracious divine action that is being accomplished in the world. That God allows me to be a mouthpiece is a privilege and a responsibility. So, I will steward that trust well by using words that build up and encourage, without verbally accosting another in the name of serving God.

In the ancient world, the poor often found themselves in prison through the inability to pay off a debt. Part of the servant’s work is to cancel debt, thus providing freedom and a further means to work and support family. For the Christian, this is an elementary part of our prayers:

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12, NIV)

Those words of Jesus are meant to uphold the ethical teachings of the Law:

At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts… There need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. (Deuteronomy 15:1, 4-8, NIV)

Holiness, love, and justice are done by paying attention to the neediest of persons around us. The Lord’s servant can bring light because God is against the darkness. And the reason debts are cancelled (both real economic and spiritual forgiveness) is so that the monetary poor, and the poor in spirit, are liberated.

God is attentive to the vulnerable and needy; it is the Lord’s will that no one lives under the oppression of debilitating debt.

The work of the humble servant brings dignity, honor, and respect to human beings, thus honoring God and showing to the world what sort of God the Lord is – a gracious and merciful God who has a zeal for justice and for right relations in society. The Servant of the Lord, the ultimate Servant, is described in this way by the prophet:

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:7, NIV)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil. Amen.

A Warning and a Reassurance (Isaiah 32:9-20)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Prophet Isaiah, by Sefira Lightstone

You women who are so complacent,
    rise up and listen to me;
you daughters who feel secure,
    hear what I have to say!
In little more than a year
    you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,
    and the harvest of fruit will not come.
Tremble, you complacent women;
    shudder, you daughters who feel secure!
Strip off your fine clothes
    and wrap yourselves in rags.
Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vines
and for the land of my people,
    a land overgrown with thorns and briers—
yes, mourn for all houses of merriment
    and for this city of revelry.
The fortress will be abandoned,
    the noisy city deserted;
citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever,
    the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
till the Spirit is poured on us from on high,
    and the desert becomes a fertile field,
    and the fertile field seems like a forest.
The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,
    his righteousness live in the fertile field.
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
    its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
    in secure homes,
    in undisturbed places of rest.
Though hail flattens the forest
    and the city is leveled completely,
how blessed you will be,
    sowing your seed by every stream,
    and letting your cattle and donkeys range free. (New International Version)

The biblical prophets spoke their prophecies for a reason, usually because there was some sort of injustice happening. And typically they addressed those with power, authority, and influence within society – who were doing something wrong, or were simply unaware of what was happening around them. In other words, the people ought to know better.

A Warning Against Complacency

The prophet Isaiah was specifically addressing particular folks, in our Old Testament lesson for today. Isaiah was calling out those who were complacent and living a life of ease. There was a chunk of society in Isaiah’s day who were safe, secure, affluent, comfortable, and rested on their laurels and their resources. Such persons didn’t ever think the thought that their lifestyle was temporary.

The warning of Isaiah was directed specifically to the well-off women in society. Concerning the rich and powerful, the biblical prophets had a tendency to address the women, e.g. the prophet Amos went after the women, calling them “the cows of Bashan.” (Amos 4:1)

The tone of Isaiah’s warning here is much more toward preparing the rich for a time when they won’t be able to rely on their wealth and affluence – they will be stripped of what they have. The women, Isaiah warned, need to prepare themselves for a time of grief.

In other words, they need to face up to what is about to occur, and not idle their lives away merrily as if nothing will ever happen to change their way of life.

Realize, Isaiah says, that the land will be emptied of life, and that resources will become scarce. You women will be reduced to near poverty. The once pride and joy of your nice house will quickly become, in no time at all, a turn of pride and joy in at least having a donkey to sit on.

The happy world they presently know will soon become nothing but a memory.

That is, until a new spirit takes over…

A Reassurance of Newness

Lamenting a loss will not happen forever. The grief shall eventually break. Not everything will be doom and gloom, as if it is some sort of new normal. Positive hope is also on the horizon. A spirit will be given, Isaiah insists, that will generate a wonderful restorative newness.

From a New Testament perspective, the spirit which is given is the Comforter. The Holy Spirit of God moves us through our grief and helps us realize a new lease on life.

“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me.”

Jesus (John 15:26, MEV)

The Spirit is the very force of God in the world, given to help us live into grace and truth – thus, turning injustice to justice, fear to faith, complacency to action, foolishness to wisdom. The desert is transformed into a garden, the dry land becomes lush and fruitful. All things are restored to vitality; people flourish and thrive again.

People’s needs, along with their great need for peaceful relational connections, will take their rightful place. Throughout the land there shall be human well-being. In other words, there is real peace – wholesomeness and integrity, with settled trust and rest in the plans and purposes of God.

In this present contemporary world of political instability for so many, instead of running about like Chicken Little believing that the sky is falling, people of faith can exhibit a peaceful confidence and a settled trust that grace and mercy will have the day.

We don’t need to live in fear, continually and anxiously vigilant to the bad thing around the corner. And when something good happens, we don’t have to wonder when the other shoe will drop. A good God has good purposes in store for humanity.

At the same time, those who are complacent and either cannot or will not see beyond the end of their nose, are served a merciful notice: They can become aware of how things really are – and do something about it.

Cycles of violence, pain, and injustice can and will be broken. Yet we must all do our part to become self-aware, acknowledge the arrogance within society, and determine that in faith we will trust in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth; and that we will work for a better society and a more fruitful culture.

We are truly not far from the kingdom of God.

Almighty Father, who gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise for our justification, give me grace to put away the leaven of malice and evil – so that I may always serve you in purity of heart and truthfulness of mind; through Jesus Christ your Son, my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Don’t Get Too Comfortable (Amos 9:7-15)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

“Are not you Israelites
    the same to me as the Cushites?”
declares the Lord.
“Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt,
    the Philistines from Caphtor
    and the Arameans from Kir?

“Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord
    are on the sinful kingdom.
I will destroy it
    from the face of the earth.
Yet I will not totally destroy
    the descendants of Jacob,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will give the command,
    and I will shake the people of Israel
    among all the nations
as grain is shaken in a sieve,
    and not a pebble will reach the ground.
All the sinners among my people
    will die by the sword,
all those who say,
    ‘Disaster will not overtake or meet us.’

“In that day

“I will restore David’s fallen shelter—
    I will repair its broken walls
    and restore its ruins—
    and will rebuild it as it used to be,
so that they may possess the remnant of Edom
    and all the nations that bear my name,”
declares the Lord, who will do these things.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,

“when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman
    and the planter by the one treading grapes.
New wine will drip from the mountains
    and flow from all the hills,
    and I will bring my people Israel back from exile.

“They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.
    They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;
    they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
I will plant Israel in their own land,
    never again to be uprooted
    from the land I have given them,”

says the Lord your God. (New International Version)

No one is immune from judgment, nor from the watchful eye of the God who knows both the actions of humanity and what is truly within their hearts.

Every one of us has the capacity and the potential for evil – even, and perhaps especially, those who claim to believe and follow God. To be arrogant and cocky is to set up oneself for a fall. To think that you could never fall or do evil is to operate in the realm of pride and hubris – which are the very traits of the Evil One.

Don’t get too comfortable with your life. Don’t simply believe you’re okay and anyone who disagrees with you is not okay.

Evil is not always (and usually isn’t) an in-your-face sort of thing. The sinister and unjust amongst us is much more like someone putting the text of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance inside of a Bible, making it a convenient collection for those who are tired of having to separate their church from their state.

The Lord, however, will do some separating – the wheat from the chaff, and the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 3:12; 25:31-33)

God does not punish simply for the sake of punishment; rather, judgment is a means to restore and renew. Curses will give way to blessings. What has been lost shall be found.

“They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them...”

Doom and hope, judgment and grace, suffering and glory. These are the movements and rhythms of the Old Testament prophets. The great sin of Israel which warranted divine wrath was not only that they trampled on the poor and needy. On top of it all, they saw nothing wrong with their way of life. 

This profound lack of awareness, rooted in the spiritual blindness of greed, is what led to judgment. It would take the form of having the Assyrian Empire come, seize the land, and take the people away to a place where they would have no chance to oppress others. Sadly, death would come to many.

The sin of oppressing others and believing there’s nothing wrong with it comes with severe consequences. The people relied too much on their ethnicity and spiritual pedigree. The ancient Israelites wrongly assumed that because they were the people of the covenant, this somehow inoculated them from disaster. Their belief in Jewish exceptionalism was their downfall.

Yet, all would not be endless gloom. The Lord will not destroy completely. God’s anger lasts for a moment. However, God’s grace lasts forever. Restoration, renewal, and fruitful times will come because of God’s mercy. 

Yes, God pronounces judgment when it is warranted. But God also makes and keeps promises to people. In our lesson for today, the Lord promises to restore the fortunes of the people through rebuilding ruined cities and letting them inhabit them once again.

God steps in and graciously acts on behalf of all people because that is what God does. We might get the notion in our heads that God executes judgment to teach people a lesson or to make a point. In my line of work, it is common to hear people express the idea they are under divine punishment because of personal illness or hard circumstances. 

God, however, acts independently out of a vast storehouse of righteousness and mercy. The Lord maintains holy decrees while showing grace to the undeserving. The nation of Israel, in the days of the prophet Amos, deserved only judgment, not grace. 

It seems to me God would have been completely justified to never restore or renew a recalcitrant people. Yet, God’s grace overwhelms and swallows human sin. Try as you might to understand grace, you will end up befuddled. That’s because grace is wildly illogical, nonsensical, and unconditionally free. Grace shows radical acceptance where there ought to be only the punishing fire of hell.

The height of grace and the pinnacle of restoring the fortunes of Israel (from a Christian perspective) came through a baby and a humble birth in the small village of Bethlehem. Jesus came to save the people from their sins. God acted by entering humanity with divine love so that there could be new life and fresh hope. 

So, let grace wash you clean. Allow mercy to renew your life. Receive the gift of gracious forgiveness, merciful love, and divine peace. Look ahead and see there is hope on the horizon.

For the afflicted, there is comfort. But for the comfortable, affliction is coming.

Merciful God, although you are careful to uphold your great holiness, your mercy extends from everlasting to everlasting. May the gospel of grace form all my words and actions so that true righteousness reigns in my life through Jesus, my Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Persecuted (Acts 8:1b-8)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
A scene from the movie, “Paul, Apostle of Christ,” in which Saul sought to wipe out Christians beginning with the stoning of Stephen

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city. (New International Version)

Just because Christians experience the blessing of God through new life in Christ, does not mean that the rest of this earthly life will be bunnies and unicorns without any hardship.

Sometimes we forget that rabbits and horses produce manure, and we’ll have to muck out the barn. And even more than that, blessings from God are not limited to an abundance of earthly resources; blessing also comes through suffering. Jesus said:

“Great blessings belong to those who suffer persecution for doing what is right. God’s kingdom belongs to them.

“People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do that, know that great blessings belong to you. 

“Be happy about it. Be very glad because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did these same bad things to the prophets who lived before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12, ERV)

Saul was an up and coming Jewish Pharisee. He was intelligent, driven, and pious. Saul had the pedigree, passion, and position to go a long way and make a big splash in Judaism. And he was more than ready to do whatever it took to stamp out a heretical and dangerous sect of Jesus followers – even to the point of giving approval to the stoning of the Christian Stephen; and leading a persecution against believers like him.

Jesus not only promised abundant and eternal life to his followers, but he also promised that the cost of Christian discipleship would be persecution. Believers in Jesus Christ can expect to suffer in this life for their faithful commitment. Yet, because Christ overcame the world, we too, can accept, cope, and transcend any persecution and trouble we face in our embrace of faith. Jesus said:

“The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” (John 16:33b, GNT)

Even though the unity the believers enjoyed together in Jerusalem was disrupted and destroyed by the leadership of Saul, God bent the adverse situation toward blessing. Christians were flung all over the known world. In their going, they obeyed the words of their Lord Jesus to proclaim the message they so wholeheartedly embraced.

When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you.

“And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.” (Matthew 28:18-20, GW)

The ancient prophesies were becoming realized. Grace, mercy, and peace were overcoming bitterness, judgment, and enmity toward one another. Even though persecution was happening, there was now a very different response to it, which will lead to a new outcome. In the last days…

The Lord will mediate between nations
    and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
    nor train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4, NLT)

Suffering can be tolerated, even embraced, whenever we are aware that it can lead us to peace and joy – both personally and communally. Instead of evil taking root amongst a people, good seeds can be planted in the heart of humanity. And when those seeds are watered and nurtured, they grow to become a blessing for the world.

Finally, Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What story can I use to explain it? It is like what happens when a mustard seed is planted in the ground. It is the smallest seed in all the world. But once it is planted, it grows larger than any garden plant. It even puts out branches that are big enough for birds to nest in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32, CEV)

Spiritual growth is built into Christianity. The faith formation and development of both individual believers and churches is important. Without it, Christians devolve into cliques of special interest groups.

But with it, Christianity becomes a blessing to the world, that is, if believers focus on producing and harvesting the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Whenever and wherever believers and followers of Jesus are spiritually growing in their faith, they become like exorcists who organically purge unhealthy institutional systems of their moral corruption, selfishness, idolatry, hate, in-fighting, obsessions, bitterness, rage, competitive oppositions, conflict, and polarizing group rivalries. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Christianity is meant to bring joy and healing of both body and soul. If it doesn’t do this, then it has become just another unjust and unhealthy organization that is in need of purging its impurities; and embracing its mandate to uphold the common good of all persons through proclamation of good news and committed to a lifestyle of loving one another as Christ has loved us.

For people pay attention to that which is right, just, and good – because righteousness, justice, and goodness are in everyone’s spiritual DNA.

Almighty and gracious God of all:
Remember Christ, your Son, who is peace itself,
and who has washed away our hatred with his blood.
Because you love all men and women everywhere,
look with mercy on all who are engaged in battles of the flesh and the spirit.
Banish the violence and evil within all combatants of both body and soul
so that one day, we may all deserve to be called your sons and your daughters.
Grant this through Christ our Lord, in the enablement of the Spirit. Amen.